78K families in slums to be rehabilitated: CM

New Delhi: Around 78,000 families will be rehabilitated to permanent houses where once there were slums through the Delhi government's 'Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan' scheme in a phased manner.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reviewed the progress of the in-situ rehabilitation of JJ clusters project which will also house around 16,000 families who will benefit in the first phase. The CM has set a three-year deadline for the first 16,000 flats and has directed officials to make the transition for the families as smooth as possible with all basic facilities. The flats will be developed on the land of the slums itself instead of the previous provision of developing flats inside a 5km radius.

The meeting was attended by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain and other senior officers of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Delhi Jal Board, the Public Works Department.

The Ministers present in the meeting took stock of all pucca houses that are being constructed on the land available under the state government's jurisdiction across the city. The Government will construct more than 78,000 flats in a phased manner with the first phase providing pucca houses to16,000 families by 2024.

The families will be given houses at the same site as where they had their slums and till the time the pucca houses are constructed, the families will be temporarily shifted to the flats of Delhi Government which have already been developed. Special care will be taken to ensure that these temporary flats are also provided near their slums. Once the DUSIB flats get developed, these families will be shifted to them permanently, the government said in a statement.

The departments have been instructed to expedite their work in providing facilities like electricity, water, sewer connections and ensuring superior road quality so that the families can adopt a good standard of living. The identified families have taken up employment near their place of residence with some working in factories or as street vendors and hawkers hence shifting them to far flung areas could affect their work. The children study in schools around the area.